Became the Villainess’s Guardian

What if that hadn’t been a hallucination after all?
Backing up a couple of steps, Freugne’s back met a door.

Simultaneously, the girl’s eyes narrowed.
While she was unaware of his identity or even his name, she at least knew he was no ordinary person.

Freugne was confident her mental state was not so desolate as to experience hallucinations in broad daylight.
Naturally, her ensuing response carried a strong undercurrent of wariness.

“…What is it?”

Freugne’s gaze swiftly swept her surroundings.

There were many people walking along the early morning streets of West Londinium.
If she raised her voice now, someone might call the police. Even if he tried something, she could at least attempt some resistance, slight as it might be. That was a small consolation, at least.

And as Freugne eyed him warily, ready to unleash a thunderpunch to the solar plexus, the man spoke:

“Do you remember what I said before?”

It had been a long time ago, but that day had been intense enough for her to remember.
He had clearly said that no one would come to her rescue, so she should join him. Freugne slowly nodded.

“In the end, you were wrong.”

“Yes, it was a situation I had not anticipated.”

“So when you say ‘join me,’ I don’t know what you’re referring to, but I must decline. I’m already quite happy as I am.”

“Yes, I can see why you might think that.”

The man smirked, his expression indicating amusement.

“But you’ll have to reconsider soon enough.”

“…Will there be such an occasion?”

“Of course.”

“Is this a threat, implying harm if I refuse?”

“No, rather, it’s a persuasion. A persuasion to join our cause.”

Frowning at the man in the white suit, who kept being vague without providing any clarification, Freugne decided not to hold back and voiced a nagging question that had been plaguing her mind.

“You keep saying ‘we’ and ‘join us.’ But what is that, exactly?”

“That will be revealed if you join us.”

“…Does anyone go shopping without knowing what they’re buying?”

“You’ll find out soon enough anyway.”

Freugne suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu.
It seemed like she had once racked her brain over a similarly ambiguous conversation involving personal pronouns.

‘Ah, that’s right. The future.’

The future where Edan confronted her.
Not only did she have to witness it in the future, but she was seeing a similar scene unfold in the present as well.

However, given the similarity, perhaps the man in the white suit before her was somehow involved.

And just as Freugne was about to question his identity or motives, the man said:

“Let’s meet again later.”

Just as he had in the burning factory.
In the briefest blink of an eye, the man vanished.

Without merging into the crowd or hiding behind any obstacles, it was as if he had evaporated.
After glancing around briefly, Freugne regained her senses and entered the house, now with much to ponder.

Chief Inspector Baldur’s career was in its prime.

If he simply had police officers stake out crime scenes without any explanation, it would be tantamount to admitting they were accomplices.
Of course, they would not be arrested, as there would be no connection, but they would certainly draw suspicious gazes.

Fortunately, Baldur was skilled at creating an atmosphere that made it seem like a coincidental apprehension.

“Oh my, to unexpectedly stumble upon a human trafficking site while on my way home from work!”

“How remarkable. To have a case of attempted murder occur at the restaurant chosen for our company dinner.”

“My subordinate discovered a box full of drugs while retrieving some luggage!”

After doing his utmost to fabricate coincidences, or alternatively, incorporating information already possessed by the metropolitan police headquarters, and meticulously preparing excuses in case he was questioned about prior knowledge, he had never faced major objections.

Occasionally, there were baseless accusations that he was following someone’s orders, but so what?
It was not as if he had done anything illegal. On the contrary, commendation plaques adorned the walls of his office, rendering the jabs from those without achievements unworthy of attention.

Simultaneously, the path to promotion that had been so obstructed was gradually appearing before his eyes.
With the answer key revealed, all he had to do was accept the spoon-fed promotions. Of course, in cases where he could not even do that within the organization, he would receive arrest orders with ‘legitimate’ grounds from Freugne.

His bonus envelopes grew thicker, his family became more harmonious, and above all, he gained hope of surpassing those superiors who had been such thorns in his side.

The voice that had initially led him down this path would always say:

“As I told you, yes?”

“…So it seems.”

“Ah, I’ve been informed that there will be a gang fight on the South Londinium riverbank four days from now. Please relay my request for your assistance.”

“South Londinium, gang fight. Noted.”

While Baldur occasionally wondered if this was the right thing to do, for the sake of his family’s future, he could not stop cheating. Moreover, it was not as if he was engaging in illegal activities himself.

So perhaps the source of that voice was a veiled government intelligence agency.
He was simply tasked with carrying out those orders, and the only way he could rationalize the extraordinary accuracy of this information was to think of it that way.

And he did not know whose ears this information might fall upon if not his own.
If it ended up in malicious hands, the information could be abused. In fact, Baldur had witnessed such cases – the repulsive sight of them attempting to deal with criminals outright.

‘Indeed, it seems I alone can uphold justice in Londinium…!’

As his self-justifications piled up, Baldur’s head swelled with an inflated ego.
However, since it was a form of self-confidence, Freugne did not find it particularly objectionable, as it ensured he did not neglect his duties.

At the very least, Baldur did not labor under the delusion that his current position was solely due to his own abilities.
Considering the countless examples throughout history of individuals who mistook borrowed prestige for their own and indulged recklessly before meeting ruin, this was a significant difference.

In that sense:

“What is it this time?”

“Ah, it’s nothing major.”

This latest instruction surely carried some greater purpose as well.

“I’m a bit concerned about the public safety in Londinium, so I’d like you to increase patrols.”

“…No specific dates or times?”

“Not yet. But I may be able to convey them to you soon.”

Baldur moved like a puppet.
For the sake of upholding justice in the city and protecting his family.

Apparently, I was a workaholic recognized as such by everyone around me.

Struck by this realization, I visited close acquaintances and was told by Professor Magni that raising a daughter alone must have taken a toll on my mental and physical well-being. Freyja, for her part, simply remarked, “Well, that’s good,” and granted me a three-day vacation.

“Yes, if not now, when else would I get to spend time together? Poor Freugne must have felt so neglected until now, hmm.”

“How would the Head of Martop know that?”

“Well, I’m someone’s guardian too, so I’m quite aware.”

Freyja then proceeded to brag about how skilled her niece was with magic.
Only half-listening and letting it go in one ear and out the other, I was finally released when lunchtime was nearly over.

Did all parents end up like this when raising children? Maybe I should try bragging about my adopted daughter Freugne as well.
Freyja, Professor Magni, and others in research labs with daughters or similar wards would be my initial targets. Let’s see who can’t boast about their daughter.

But that was for later, so I set it aside for the time being.

“Then take it easy and rest for about three days before returning.”

Even if the persuasion die hadn’t rolled a 20, I had intended to take a break regardless.
It had merely served to help me regain my composure, nothing more.

“Do you have any recommended tourist destinations?”

“Ah, yes. I do have one in mind, actually.”

In a world without the internet, finding leisure activities required either discovering them in newspapers or inquiring with acquaintances.
Freyja handed me a small brochure – the very item a returning overseas employee had once given her, suggesting she visit the place.

After briefly flipping through it, there did seem to be sufficient reason for the employee’s confident recommendation – it appeared worth a visit.

So I decided to take a day off and visit Londinium’s Magic Fair.
After all, in this era, magic was the pinnacle of entertainment, so where better to find attractions? With magical devices from abroad as well, it promised a different experience from the usual.

While I had stated it as a bet, I had planned to take Freugne abroad at some point anyway, so this could be considered a practice run.

“What are you doing out here? It’s still quite chilly.”

As I headed straight home after work, Freugne was waiting outside the house.
However, there was one difference – she seemed to be in quite a bad mood, perhaps due to some incident at school.

Freugne was not the type to get physically bullied.
So had she fought with another student instead? No, if that were the case, she would have candidly admitted her wrongdoing, as she had before.

But before I could ponder further, Freugne took the initiative to speak.

“Mr. Edan.”

“Yes, did you want to say something?”

“…Yes, actually.”

It seemed to be a serious matter.
Having been about to habitually flop onto the living room sofa, I straightened my expression and turned to face her instead.

“Is there something I can assist with?”

“No, but I wanted to ask you something instead. Did anything unusual happen today?”

“Nothing in particular, aside from being granted a vacation. Why, did something occur?”

“Ahahah, it’s nothing.”

Freugne suddenly beamed, as if everything until then had been a lie.

Upon regaining my senses, I realized she had taken my hand in hers.
And she did not seem inclined to let go, gripping it tightly.